Legwork will help you find secondhand baby products

How to find gently used baby gear, and what to buy new

When Colleen Smith was getting ready to have a baby last fall, the first-time mom says friends and family offered to hand down their gently used baby gear. But Smith also knew she would have a shower.

"I wanted to find a way to organize those offers — a lot of it really good stuff — with my shower," said Smith, 36, of Perkasie, Pa.

So rather than create a registry at a major retailer, she signed up for Encore Baby Registry, a website that allows parents-to-be to ask for secondhand gifts, as well as new baby gear.

The passing down and lending of baby supplies among friends and family is a well-worn tradition, but a tough economy has prompted many expecting parents to tighten their budget and cast a wider net, including online, for gently used baby gear.

"There are a lot of ways to communicate with other parents now," said Elena Mauer, deputy editor of The Bump, a website that caters to expecting and new parents.

Where to shop for secondhand gear. In 2011, when Daniel and Michelle Lehmann were moving apartments in New York City, they went online looking for a website where they could unload some of the gear their children no longer used.

"There was nothing for it, just Craigslist," the online classifieds, Daniel said. So the couple created reCrib.com. The site, which relaunched two months ago, focuses on high-end baby gear, furniture and toys, which often sell for 50 percent off original prices.

Most of their sellers are in New York City. Daniel expects the footprint to grow as reCrib expands, but if you don't live in the area, shipping is an option.

"We assumed everything would be very local," Daniel said. "But people in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and California are buying these items half off and having them shipped."

When you buy through reCrib, the money is held in an account until you confirm via email that you are satisfied with the purchase. If you're not happy, you can return the goods for a refund, excluding delivery or shipping fees. Sellers pay a commission of 20 percent of the sale price once an item is sold.

SwapBabyGoods.com is another website where you can buy, sell or swap baby items. Sellers pay no commission, so transactions are more hands-off: Once you've agreed to buy clothes, furniture or toys, it's up to you and the seller to determine how to exchange money and what recourse there will be if the item is not as described or you have second thoughts about your purchase.

What items you should buy new. While you can save a bundle getting hand-me-downs, you don't want to compromise safety, Mauer says. Safety standards for baby gear, especially cribs, have changed over time. So, before you buy, check for product recalls through the Consumer Product Safety Commission's website, cpsc.gov.

In addition, some items are meant to have a short shelf life. Car seats, for example, usually expire five to six years from the time of manufacture (you can find an expiration date stamped on the back or the bottom of the seat). "The material will break down," Mauer said. And if the seat has been in a car crash, there may be damage you cannot see.

As such, it's best to take used car seats only from sources you know well (say, a family member or close friend) and only after you've checked that the seat meets safety standards. To do so, go to safercar.gov/parents.

Mauer also advises against buying a breast pump secondhand, since the warranty usually applies only to the original user.

What to expect from gift-givers. As for asking for hand-me-downs at your shower, Smith found that most partygoers at her soiree were comfortable giving something gently used, along with, say, a new outfit.

"I think in the end, people saved money. With a traditional registry, they would have bought me a swing," she said. "Instead, they gave me a swing and got me one or two onesies."

It worked out for Smith as well. "I think I ended up getting a lot more stuff this way," she said.